title: Practical application of kangaroo mother care in preterm infants: clinical characteristics and safety of kangaroo mother care.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the clinical characteristics and safety of kangaroo mother care (KMC) according to the gestational age (GA) or postmenstrual age (PMA).
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a prospective clinical study in 31 infants between 25 and 32 weeks' GA. The subjects were categorized into two groups (25-28 weeks' and 29-32 weeks' GA groups) to compare the clinical characteristics associated with KMC. Heart rate, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, blood pressure and body temperature (BT) were longitudinally assessed for 60 min with respect to the PMA group (29-32 weeks' and 33-36 weeks' PMA groups).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The authors analyzed 70 sessions with 31 infants (25-32 weeks' GA, birth weight 760-1740 g, 29-36 weeks' PMA). All infants had statistically significant higher temperatures during KMC than before KMC within clinically acceptable limits (P<0.001). We found a significantly lower variation of BT in the 25-28 weeks' GA group compared with the 29-32 weeks' GA group at 33-36 weeks' PMA, suggesting accelerated skin maturation in more premature infants (P<0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our intermittent KMC was a safe and feasible method for preterm infants. Notably, at the same PMA, preterm infants in the lower at-birth GA group showed an advanced maturation of thermoregulation compared with those in the higher GA group.
authors.forename: Hyun-kyung
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Byeong Seon
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Seung Jin
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: In-A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Son
authors.forename: In-Joon
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Seol
authors.forename: Hyun Ju
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D062071:Infant, Extremely Premature; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007235:Infant, Premature, Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D015931:Intensive Care, Neonatal / Q000379:methods; D060127:Kangaroo-Mother Care Method; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000453:epidemiology